Blessings From Above
by outsidersfanfic67
Summary: Darry didn't know there was such a thing as healing after Mom and Dad died. But with an old friend's help, he'll heal his wounds, break no more, find out why everyone loved him then.
1. Chapter 1

**This one was _the_ hardest one to write and I believe I didn't do a good job (teehee). Anyways, review, read, and Stay Gold!**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All rights go to S. !**_

**Darry**

I couldn't believe I let Sodapop and Steve talk me into this. I'm perfectly fine working 2 jobs, taking care of Soda and Pony… Okay, I wasn't. I still wanted to go to college, play football, make some money for Ponyboy and Sodapop and myself. But that was all wanted besides have Ponyboy and I to get along better and for Mom and Dad to come back. But not a girlfriend… I haven't dated anyone since Sue Winngton in my junior year High School, which was 8 years ago in itself. But Soda insisted on getting me a girl, or at least someone my own age. I hated how your kid brothers were right most of time.

"Soda, I-" I started, but Soda smacked my mouth with the back of his hand.

"Look, here, yous is gonna find a girlfriend even I have to personally stuff your tongue in her mouth. Pretend you're watching the movie."

"Soda, we don't watch movies," I said. He nodded and pointed to Ponyboy and Johnny a couple seats down, their eyes glued to the screen.

"Watch them 2. They're experts," He whispered and kicked his feet up on the seat in front of us.

"Soda, quit it," Ponyboy snapped at him when Sodapop started copying his every move.

"Fine. Suck all the fun out of movie watching," He mumbled, "UH-OH! Darry, me has no popcorn left. Will you be a doll and go get me some?" He batted his eyelashes at me. I took my hand, placed it on his face, and pushed him off his chair.

"Sure, Doll," I teased, standing up and starting to walk up the stairs. I passed a couple good-looking girls and all, but none my type. Ponyboy told me that if it weren't for them, I could be a Soc, and I believed it. But I told him that I loved them too much to leave and he completely blew me off. I never remembering doing that with Mom and Dad, but I guess he's had no one to do that to except me.

"Uh, 3 popcorns," I ordered, gathering some change up in my pocket.

"Uh, that'll be 75 cents," The cashier was handed the money and handed me the tiny buckets of popcorn.

"Thank you," I said, walking out the stand, slowly so I wouldn't spill the food. I looked at the ground, careful not to trip, but my body slammed into a pair of feet, sending tiny pieces of yellow everywhere. I looked up to see a girl, about my age, with blonde curls, light, pale green eyes, and full, pink cheeks. She smiled with white teeth, straight as can be, her black eyelashes practically touching her perfectly drawn eyebrows. She was beautiful… I knew her though. And then it clicked.

"Blessings?" I asked. She smiled even wider, nodding.

"Yeah. Darry Curtis?"

"Yeah. Glory, I haven't seen you since senior year," I said, not even caring about the popcorn anymore.

"You too. Where have you been at? Everyone else is at OSU right now graduating in May."

"Oh, well, uh, my parents passed away about 4 years ago. I've been working 2 jobs since then for money for Soda and Pony. Remember my brothers?"

"How could I forget, Darry? Ponyboy was the sweetest 11 year old I've ever met," She answered.

"Yeah, he obeyed then, didn't he?"

"Where are they? Home?"

"No, actually, they're here. Wanna join us?"

"Sure." I held out my arm and she linked hers in it and we began to walk down the stairs and to where Pony, Johnny, Dally, Steve, Two-Bit and Soda were sitting.

"Hey, guys, I got an old friend I'd like y'all to meet," I said when none of them turned around.

"It better be a fuckin' popcorn bucket or I'm gonna- Blessings!" Soda started, but stood up and wrapped her in a big hug. Everyone else's head turned around and hugged her also.

"BLESSINGS!" Ponyboy screeched, hugging her tight.

"Holy crap, Ponyboy, how old are you now?"

"18."

"Ponyboy, the last time I saw you, you were 11."

"I was adorable, wasn't I?"

"Yes, you were," She gave him a kiss on the cheek and Soda cleared him out of the way and hugged her tighter.

"I've missed you so much. Ever since you and Darry broke up, we've been so lost."

"Soda, we never dated," I corrected him.

"That's what you 2 told yourselves, but everybody, including Mom and Dad thought y'all were.'

"How old are you?'

"21."

"Then act like it," I said.

"You 21?" Blessings asked Sodapop.

"Yeah."

"I feel really old when I'm 24."

"Say, Blessings, you single?" Soda asked.

"Yeah… why?"

"Because Darry here isn't seeing anyone."

"Soda!"

"Just saying, Darry. Anyway, if he asked you out, would you say yes?"

"Soda, you ain't actin' like you're 21."

"Oh, well, Darry acts like he's at least 24."

"Sodapop…!'

"Soda, I think you should go sit down." I walked over and laid my arm around her shoulder.

"You heard the lady. Sit your butt down and watch the movie."

"Aw, Darry, that ain't no fun."

"It is now. Let's go."

"Fine," He said down and kicked his feet back on the chair again.

"You wanna watch?" I asked Blessings.

"Sure," And halfway through, she fell asleep on my shoulder. Soda turned around and winked. I winked back and kicked the back of chair. "Good job…" He whispered. And looking down at her beautiful face, I believe I did.


	2. Chapter 2

"So… how's 7:00 sound?" I asked Blessings over the phone.

"I'd like that. Are you sure it's not any trouble?" She asked.

"No. no! Sodapop and Ponyboy have work anyway."

"Ok… I'll see you then."

"Ok, bye."

"Bye," I heavily sighed and hung up the phone. I turned around to see Ponyboy with 2 rootbeers in his hands.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm meeting Johnny at the lot and then I'm gonna head onto work."

"Ok. But if I find out you blow off work, I'm gonna be furious."

"Trust me, I won't. Soda already went off to the DX with Steve. When's this date?"

"It's not a date, Ponyboy."

"What is it then?"

"A get-together."

"You're cooking dinner, Darry," He said, cocking one eyebrow.

"Shut up. I bet Johnny's waiting."

"Uh, ok. Bye, see you at like 11:00." He punched me in the shoulder and ran out the door. 30 minutes to cook, clean, and get ready… I didn't know if I'd make it in time…

Comb it to the side, leave it? My God… I really wanted to impress and all, but Soda usually used to help me with this stuff, even at 14. I sighed just as the door was knocked on. Oh Dear Lord, she's here. I flew out of the bedroom and ran to the front door. I smoothed out my shirt and put a smiled on my face and opened the door. Instead of gorgeous Blessings standing there, a police officer with his badge exposed and 2 or 3 police cars were blowing sirens behind him on the street.

"Hello, officer?"

"Are you Darrel Curtis?" The officer said. I nodded, widening my eyes.

"Your brother, Sodapop Curtis?" My leegs trembled, my body was numb, I was in shock.

"Yes, sir," I said.

"I'm sorry to inform you that he's was in a car accident on Pickett and is fatally injured."

"Is he dead?" My mouth was dry, I was shaking more, tears filled my eyes.

"No. Your brother, Ponyboy, was injured as well along with Steve Randle. They aren't as injured, but still hurt. Sodapop is severe." I couldn't help but cry now, wanting to die. Mom and Dad, maybe Sodapop, and Ponyboy hurt now.

"Would you like us to drive you to the hospital?" I nodded, tears rolling down my cheeks.

"Thank you."

"Gather what you need. Come to the car when you're ready." I nodded, shut the door, walked into the bathroom to look at myself. I didn't look like myself. I hated my image… And I smashed my hand into the mirror, shattering it along with my hope.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, guys, sorry I didn't update yesterday haha. I had a massive writer's block. But I'm_ FULL_ of ideas. I hope you like this chapter… **

Blessings was already there. She stood there in a yellow Sundress, his blonde curls cascading down her back, looking down at the white hospital floor. I silently thanked God and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and sized me up. She began to smile, although she had tears in her eyes.

"Darry… What happened to your hand?"

"I was- There was an accident at work. Are they ok?"

"I saw Ponyboy and Steve. They were awake and smiling, saying they'd never do it again."

"What about Soda?"

"He was unconscious when I saw him. They were rushing him into the back, but he was burnt and had tubes up his nose and needles in his hands."

"Oh my God…"

"I'm really sorry, Darry…" I nodded, tears falling down my cheeks. She looked worried and wrapped me in an embrace.

"I'm so sorry," She whispered. I nodded and never wanted to go. She was my rock right now. Only thing to hold on without my parents or my brothers. Without her, I'd have nothing… Just a broken heart, empty house, and sleepless nights. I looked over her shoulder to see a nurse with a clipboard.

"Are you Darry Curtis?" She asked. I let go of Blessings, nodded, and wiped my face on my shirt.

"How'd you know?"

"Those two nut jobs," She motioned to Ponyboy and Steve, laughing and smiling and pointing to me. I gaped at them. They laughed harder and walked up to me. Ponyboy had a bandage around his head and wrist, blood seething through the surface. Steve had stitches in his left hand and cheek, but smiled anyway.

"Hey, Darry, how ya been?" Steve said. Ponyboy smiled and gave me a hug. I lifted him onto my back as he clung to my neck. Dad used to this with him… Carry him around, have an ice cream, playing iSpy…

"I'm just glad that you 2 are okay," I said, putting Pony down and gave him another hug.

"Yeah, Soda's the one who's beat up."

"So I've been told," I said. The nurse tapped my shoulder.

"Would you like to see Soda?" She asked. I nodded quickly and she lead me to a room down the hall. I quietly knocked and a nurse motioned for me to come in.

"You his brother?"

"Yeah, I'm Darrel." I said. She nodded. Soda was lying in the hospital bed, his neck burnt, tubes up his nose, tear stains on his cheeks. Stitches outlined his face and blood stained every part of his body that wasn't burnt.

"Soda?" I whispered. His eyes were shut, but his lips formed a smile.

"How ya feelin'?"

"Like shit…" He laughed.

"I bet so… Did he break anything?"

"We haven't examined him yet, but we think his back. If he lives, he'll never walk again," She answered. I sighed and wanted to run out the second I heard the word if.

"We'll examined him now."

"Oh, you'll have to leave now."

I had tears falling out of my eyes as I slipped out of the room. I couldn't lose my brother… but if I didn't he wouldn't only be paralyzed, so would I.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hai, greasers! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing and for your input! It realllllllllly means a lot. I'll probably be updating everyday for a while, but this one's one of the hardest to write out of all of them. Thanks for Reading, reviewing, and Stay Gold!3**

**Disclaimer: I only own Blessings, but all the other characters belong to S.E. Hinton along with the rights. ;) **

The next day I hurt my hand at work, breaking it they said. I fell off the ladder and it came collapsing onto my wrist, causing fracture throughout my hand. Ponyboy's been icing it and cleaning the house and cooking between homework and visiting Soda. They had examined him and called a couple days ago saying he had broken his back, but that he was going to make it. I was so happy to hear it, I nearly celebrated with a beer. But I gave it up after Johnny came home once a couple years ago with 3 broken ribs from a beating. We found out that Soda was burnt because the car's engine fell on him in the ditch, burning his body. They were 2nd degree burns according to the doctor.

Ponyboy's been talking to me about dropping out of school so he could take care of Soda and get a part-time job. I've told him they won't ever drop out of school, even for this. I could manage Soda and work, I told him. I didn't want him to drop out of school at all. God blessed me with a paycheck from my boss Mr. Joel for a lot of money for my health and Soda's too. Ponyboy had quit track to come help me, and to help Sodapop when he comes home. Not only did that boy use his head now, but he wrote everything down himself. But I guess the real blessing I got was actually Blessings. She graduated and came to take care of me as soon she did. She let Ponyboy go out and all, but he refused. Soda was getting home tomorrow, and this was my last day with Blessings.

"Here, Darry," She strolled into the family room with a dishcloth wrapped around some ice and wrapped it around my hand.

"Thanks," I said. She smiled and walked back into the kitchen. She had the most perfectly shaped lips, whitest teeth, pinkest flesh… I wanted to kiss her so badly, but I knew it would resort to ice your hand or eat your soup. I moved my hand and all the ice fell out onto the floor. I swore under my breath and got down on my knees and picked up the ice with my right hand.

"Darry, you ok in there?"

"Yeah, I'm dandy," I said, scooping it up and running into the kitchen to dump it in the sink.

"You sure? Cause you're leaving a trail on your shirt and on the floor," She smiled, placing one hand on her waist. I looked down at my shirt to see it soaking wet. And yet I didn't even bother.

"Look, Blessings…" Her laugh vibrated my ears; a shrill, sweet one like you wanted to hang onto and never, ever let go.

"You were always the clumsiest," She said, moving next to me to start the water.

"I still am apparently," I laughed.

"Yep…" She smiled. I couldn't take it anymore. I loved her, I admit it, in senior year and now even. I quickly enrobed my arm around her hips and tilted down to met our smiles. I felt her breath on my face. I slipped her upper lips in mine and intertwined our lips. She didn't seem to stop me, but she didn't seem to fight back. She soon reached up and locked her arms around my neck and kissed me back, hard. I separated our lips to see her look down at the wet kitchen floor, her eyelashes kissing her rosy cheeks, a blond curls falling in her perfect complexion. She glanced back up, her blue eyes sparking, her smile shimmering. I cracked a grin and bent down and inserted my lip between hers as she did the same to mine again. I playfully bit her lip, softly though. She lifted up for a second, snickered, and went back to tangling our lips. I pulled up, making the sound that lips do when you separate, and smiled. I finally got my kiss. And more…

"You're my Blessings From Above."


	5. Chapter 5

**I've received some nice, suggestive reviews and then I've received criticized reviews. I just want to say that if you think this about this story, or you think that, don't read it. This isn't your story, you don't have to like it. Keep the constructive criticism to yourself if you absolutely hate it. Thank you and Stay Gold!**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the greasers or Socs, just Blessings. All rights go to S.E. Hinton. **_

I looked at my alarm clock; about 5:45am. I sighed and looked at the ceiling. Last week

Was crazy with getting Sodapop home. He was falling asleep every time someone said a syllable. My poor brother was in a wheelchair and will be for the rest of his life. He was complaining about not working on cars, or going back to school, or even getting a girl. The gang tried to cheer him up and all, but Soda felt hopeless along with me and Pony. Pony went to bed early with Soda last night. Soda could barely sit up in bed he was so tired when I came to tell him g'night. My hand was healing up and Soda's been doing paperwork, like he had something better to do. Ponyboy has talked to me numerous times, time after time about dropping out. He said he really doesn't give a damn anymore about it. He cared about Soda getting better, but I told him that this is the best Soda's probably ever going to be. He said he'd repeat a year if he had to if he could just drop out until May. I told him that'd be in 6 months; he didn't give a hang. But he's talked to the school principal and… well, he finally dropped out for a couple months. The principal said he understood the circumstances and would let him do summer school to actually graduate since he skipped a grade. As for Blessings… she left and went back to school in her own dorm. I can't tell if she left me or if it was until Christmas break. I just hoped she didn't leave me.

I willed myself out of Bed and into the kitchen. Dirty dishes already piled in the sink. I groaned and turned on the hot water. While it ran I was making my way to my bedroom to put a shirt ad jeans on to see Ponyboy ad Sodapop in the front yard. They were on the side of the house, shooting a flat basketball into a ring of metal Dad had nailed into the side to shoot in. I got dressed, turned the water off, and headed outside in my bare feet.

"Curtis #2 takes the ball, he shoots, he scoressssss!" Ponyboy exclaimed. Soda was sitting on the concrete out of his chair shooting from the ground. He made it with no bouncing. I began slowly clapping and Ponyboy and Soda looked up in surprise.

"Hey, Darry," Pony said.

"What's new, Dar?" Soda's voice was still hoarse from throat burs from the engine. I knew he'd get through it.

"I just woke up. How long y'all been out here?" Pony threw the ball to me in a chest as I caught it and rolled it off my forearm to Soda on the ground.

"Bout 30 minutes. Soda's beating me," Even at 18 years old he had a smile on his baby face even when the times were tough. Even when Johnny was begging for life, he smiled. Even when he at to get stitches in his left cheek at 12, he had a smile on his face. And now, when his brother was paralyzed and his oldest couldn't work and he dropped out of school, he was beaming.

"It's still dark outside," I said.

"I know. We just kinda woke up and came out here. Told So we might watch the sunrise," He said.

"I wish you'd stay in school so you'd wouldn't concetra-"

"Darry!" Soda shouted. I looked down and raised his index finger to his lips. I exhaled heavily and took a seat on the cement next to him.

"It's been hard, hasn't it, little buddy?" I said, slapping my hand down on his shoulder. He nodded and cracked a grin.

"Yeah… doesn't even feel like I have legs, you know? Like at the dentist when they numb your mouth? It's there, but you don't feel them at all. Only I can't use my legs. I can't even go pee anymore!"

"I'm sorry I asked. Pony, gimme that ball," He handed it to me and I squished the sides of it.

"Feels flat," I said, raising one eyebrow. Soda took it from me and tossed it in the metal.

"It is flat."

"Then why are you keeping it?"

"Dad gave it to me one Christmas. I'm never getting rid of this thing as long as I live. Which probably won't be very long," Soda answered as it came rolling to Pony's ankle.

"Don't say that, So. You can still do lots of things."

"Yeah, Pony? I can't stand up, I can barely sit down, I can't even walk anymore… If I can't even accomplish something like that, then how am I gonna live much longer?" Soda was right. It was quiet in the dark.

"You don't stop living because you lose someone… or something…" I whispered.

"Hello?"

"Hi, this is Darrel Curtis. I was wondering if you had someone who was attending right now?"

"I can surely look through the files, Darrel. What's the name?"

"Uh, Blessings Monroe."

"Monroe… Monroe… M-O-N-R-O-E?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Blessings or Robin?"

"Blessings. Robin's her sister."

"Uh, Blessings Monroe left off campus a couple hours ago. She'll be back in Mid-January."

"Ok, do you know where she was going?"

"She said to my daughter today that she was heading for the east side of Tulsa. Seeing her family and a friend that was injured."

"Ok. Thank you for your help."

"No problem. Have a nice day."

"You too," I put the phone down and looked back at the Christmas tree Ponyboy was decorating.

"You still lookin' for her, huh, Darry?" He said as I tossed him a roll of lights. I shook my head even though I was lying.

"Nah."

"Is she coming here?" He asked, unraveling all the little lights.

"Sounded like she was… I just haven't seen her since the kiss," I said, looking at the shagged carpet. He dropped the lights along with his jaw.

"You made out with that broad?"

"I wouldn't say make-out, but-"

"You probably did. How long ago was that?"

"The night you were fired from your job." He lowered his eyes.

"And you haven't seen her since, per se?"

"No. After she left that night, I didn't see her again. I've been looking for her."

"Darry, you got it bad."

"What do you know about getting it bad, Ponyboy? You've barely dated yourself."

"You're stupid."

"What?"

"I've dated… Cathy…Jolie… Adrianne…" He was counting on his fingers.

"How many?"

"Man, I've dated about 8 or 9 girls in the last 2 years just about. Don't be telling me that I don't know anything about girls. Me and Soda and Steve, yeah, we wrote a dictionary."

"On what?"

"How to speak girl. Glory, you're out of it."

"Ok. Then, Merriam-Webster, or should I say Maryann Webster," A smiled passed his face, "What does it mean when you kiss a girl all of a sudden, and they run off to go back to school?"

"It usually means they don't like you anymore, but in your case, it just sounds like it was time to go back to school and she didn't want to tell you," He said, picking up the lights and beginning to untangle them.

"Smartass…"

"If I'm so smartass, why don't you untangle these because you would need the practice. I'm too smart." He threw the lights at me, them hitting against my chest.

"You're a smartass here," I pointed to my lips.

"Not here," And I gestured to my head.


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm gonna be heading to California, Las Vegas, Arizona, Oklahoma (TULSA!), and New Mexico until the 7th. And then I have school the next day, so you probably won't see an update out of me for a while. Maybe a week and a half? Today's my last day here so I'll write as much as I can today. Review and Stay Gold, greasers!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the greasers or Socs. All rights go to S.E. Hinton.**

I opened my eyes to the television being turned on to Mickey Mouse and Two-Bit's hysterical laughing. It was blurred and everything in the room looked liquidly. I rubbed my eyes to see tears fall on my hands. That always happened when I had nightmare that night, waking up in the morning with water in my eyes. I wiped my face on my shirt and stood up. I slept on the couch? I didn't know. I was exhausted with dealing with Sodapop last night. Last night was a pretty emotional night for all 3 of us. Yesterday was Christmas Eve and it reminded us all about Mom and Dad… We- Well, Pony and Soda cried for about an hour until I made them go to bed. I stayed out here, looking at photo albums and Mom's scrapbook. I must've fallen asleep when I was. I looked at the shelf where we kept Mom and Dad's stuff to see Mom's scrapbook back where it was. Ponyboy…

Not only that, but I tried contacting Robin, Blessing's sister, her mom, her dad, even her 27 year old brother and they haven't seen one sign of her. I didn't know if she was hurt or escaped, met another guy… She was practically missing. But I wouldn't let her leaving me ruin my Christmas. After Mom and Dad died, we don't give presents to each other unless it's one of us going away for a while which was only one tie when Pony went on a retreat with school. We didn't think it felt right since our parents died, and we didn't have the money.

I looked at Two-Bit on the floor with a bottle of beer in his hand and laughing and pointing at the television. He turned to Dallas who took his turn on the couch and made his way to lighting a cigarette. I didn't see what was so great about those things. Our Aunt died from smoking, but it didn't seem to stop Ponyboy from inhaling a pack a day. It wasted money and hurt you I've told him, but he refuses to use that excuse. He said he'd die a happy man as long as he had a cigarette in his fingers. Of course, stubborn as usual. I scratched my head, heading into the kitchen to find Johnny and Ponyboy trying to make some concoction with Soda on the floor, playing with some color dye and milk.

"Y'all treat Sodapop like he's a 4 year old," I said, ruffling both their hairs and giving Pony a punch in the shoulder.

"We sure do. Merry Christmas, Dar," He said, flicking some sort of yellow liquid on me.

"Ponyboy, what the hell is that?"

"We don't know. It's been sitting in the pantry in a jug. Johnny put milk in it and ham."

"Ham?"

"Yeah. It's nasty," He scrunched up his face and went back to playing with the ham milk thing.

"Ok… Hey, So, what are you doing?" I said, taking a seat next to him on the kitchen floor.

"Making Christmas milk."

"What?"

"You put red and green food coloring in milk. You see Darry, It turns the color that you put in the-"

"I know how food coloring works," I said, gently pushing him.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS, CURTIS FAMILY!" I heard Steve run in and banging. The TV stopped making noises and I heard some glass break. I swear, I'm not gonna make it to 25. But I was turning it in 11 days.

"Your friend's here," I said to Soda before heading into the living room to make sure no one died. I just saw Two-Bit wrestling Steve on the ground with Two-Bit's arm around is neck, causing Steve to turn red and soon purple.

"Lay off, Two-Bit," I said. He looked up, released, and stood up.

"Thanks, Darry. Merry Christmas, man," Steve said, standing up, grabbing a bag and bringing it into the kitchen.

"You too. Mathews, go get a broom and clean up that broken glass," He moped into the laundry room to get the broom.

"Whatcha doin'. So?" Steve asked when I turned back into the kitchen.

"Making Christmas milk," He answered from the floor. I didn't get why he didn't like that chair. I would've been in that chair until I died. He loved sitting in the grass, on the floor, on mats, everything but the chair.

"No way, man. My sister was making that when I left."

"Really?"

"Yeah. That's why I left the house," He teased. Soda smiled and heaved his body against his shin.

"Hey, Steve," Quiet Johnny interrupted the gentle wrestling match between the two best friends.

"What, Johnny?"

"Do you want a special drink?"

"How special?"

"It doesn't even have a name," Ponyboy said. He was hiding a snicker with his mouth positioned like that.

"Uh,… sure?" Steve stood up from the floor as Johnny handed him a glass. It wasn't really yellow anymore; it was a creamish-yellow with little pink chunks sinking at the bottom.

"What… the hell did you just give me?"

"You're special drink."

"My special drink? It looks like Two-Bit's cat pissed and shitted in this."

"HEY!" Two-Bit scared the crap out of me by screaming right behind me.

"Why you talkin' about Chickery like that?"

"Sorry… Who names their cat that anyway?"

"Sounds like chicks," He clicked his tongue and went back into the living room with the broom.

"I'm just surprised he didn't name it Blondie," He said. And he took a swig of the drink. His eyes widened and his gag reflexes kicked in, making him start hacking into the sink. He gargled some water and coughed into the sink before finally standing up and hollering at those two. They just stood there, laughing hysterically like girls until Steve stopped and barged into the bathroom.

"What's the matter, Steve? Evie dumped ya?" Dally said from the living room.

"If those two offer you drinks… have one."

"Why does it have alcohol in it?"

"Lots," And the bathroom door closed. Dallas loped into the kitchen, laying a hand on Johnny's shoulder.

"Gimme a round of them," He said, throwing his cigarette in the trash can.

"Shaken or stirred?"

"Surprise me," Ponyboy started laughing as they poured it from the jug into a cup.

The door bell echoed throughout the house as I rushed to the door to get it. I swung it open to see a tattered, bruised, bleeding girl standing on the porch with tears streaming down her face. And I knew exactly who it was…


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay, look, what I put in my author's note was wrong. I can't go back and change it because I lost EVERYTHING off my computer and jump drive that I have this all on. What I did was wrong, I apologize. If this keeps up, I am seriously thinking about just deleting this overall and it'll be done with. I'm not dealing with this. Please just read, not hassle me over something that I apologized for. **

"Blessings?" I whispered. It began to start raining outside, raindrops hitting the roof hard. She nodded, leaving a trail down her face of tears.

"What- When- Ca- Get inside," I opened the door up wider and pulled her inside. Blood slid down her face like a path. Dirt caked her face along with cuts and bruises along her chin, lips, and jaw line. A gash covered her forehead and one from her elbow to her wrist. I couldn't talk.

"Blessings? Glory, what happened to you?!" Dallas exclaimed when he saw her, jumping off the couch like a frog.

"What- Blessings!" Two-Bit looked up from the TV and sat there shock. Ponyboy and Johnny came through the kitchen. When they first saw her, Pony's eyes widened, but Johnny looked understanding.

"What happened? Steve, get me in the damn chair!" Soda screamed from the other room.

"What happened?" Ponyboy asked. I looked down at her, my eyes asking the same question. Her black eye twitched and tears came flowing down her cut cheeks.

"Okay, hold on," I zoomed past Pony and Johnny and got a washrag. What on earth happened to her? What was going on? I just asked these questions over and over until I got the rag wet, the first aid kit, and some tissues.

When I walked back in, she was crying in those wet clothes of hers on the couch.

"Pony, get a t-shirt, sweatshirt, sweatpants from my room," I said, setting the things down on the carpet. She looked scared to death, poor thing. I unwrapped the soggy scarf from around her, took off the coat, and yanked the drenched socks and shoes off and threw them in the corner.

"Blessings, honey, what happened?" I asked, uncovering her hands. Nothing but dried red crust, finger to finger, palm to wrist. She couldn't stop cryin' and stutterin' for nothing. I bit the inside of my lip.

"Johnny, can you get me a couple more hot wet rags?" He nodded and ran into the kitchen.

"What happened, Bless?" Sodapop asked when he and Steve got in here. She looked up at him, tears stopped running. She hadn't looked me in the eye once since that night and I missed her eyes.

"Look, let's just clean you up and then we can talk," I said when Johnny got back with the rags. I began to clean up to the blood down her cheek, putting cream on her cuts, wiping up her gashes gently.

"Look up," I whispered when I had to clean up her chin. Ponyboy came up with the clothes and laid them in my lap. She looked up at ceiling, not looking at me at all.

"Blessings… look down a little," I said. She looked at my eye level, but closed her eyes. I sighed. She didn't want to see me. I just went on cleaning up her cuts and gashes and bandaged her arm and her ankle was swollen. I handed her the clothes letting her going to change in the bathroom.

"What do you think happened?" Ponyboy asked me, taking a seat on the floor. I shrugged and sighed. I can't believe she was avoiding eye-contact. I'm trying to help her. Why can't she just at least look at me in the eye? When she came back, she looked helpless. She had those big clothes on, shaking, her face cut and pale. I don't even think Johnny's ever looked like this.

"Hey… how ya feelin'?" I said when she got to the couch. She still wasn't looking at me. She was actually getting on my nerves.

"Better," She whispered. I sighed and motioned for the rest of them to leave. Ponyboy winked and lead everyone, even Soda outside. I peeked out the window to see it was snowing rapidly. And those 6 were playing in their bare feet and tank-tops.

"Look, Blessings, look at me," She didn't.

"Look at me." She stared at her red hand.

"Look at me, Blessings, damn it," She finally gazed up at me. Those weren't the eyes I saw a month ago. A month ago I saw cheerful, smiling eyes, dancing with every bat of the eyelash. These were… broken, bruised, dead, forgotten, abandoned, screaming every time she blinked.

"What happened?" I whispered. She didn't let go of her glance now.

"Everything," Her voice was busted, hoarse, frightened.

"What's everything?"

"In the world, Darry."

"Blessings, what happened?"

"I need help…"

"I know. Just tell me."

"I can't."

"Bless, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong. Now please just tell me; what is wrong?" She shook, her eyes filling with water, her lip quivering. She was traumatized.

"I'm sorry… I really am. I went back to school and didn't tell you. I couldn't tell you… After that night, I just couldn't. I went back and left for Christmas Break. I wanted to come see y'all and my dad found out. He never liked you or your family. I went to go see them for a couple days and they asked where I was going next. I said here to see y'all and to apologize. My dad put the brakes out on my car. Darry, you gotta understand, he's not the most stable man on earth. He put them out without telling me of course and I went on driving to come here, because you know my parents live on the west side. So I was driving and they went out. I fell into a ditch and hurt myself. Really bad.

"So I walked back home because I didn't crash that far off near their house. And he told me and I started hollerin' at him. He got real upset, Darry. Momma wasn't home. She was at the neightbor's house. He pushed me against the wall, screamed in my face, punched me in the stomach for talking back. I didn't do anything to stop him. He pushed me and I fell in the coffee table. My chest hurts real bed where I fell. I don't really remember anything after that. He put me on the streets in the snow and when I thought I had the strength to walk, I came here. I remember seeing his face… outraged, furious, hot… I hate him…" I couldn't feel more upset for her right now. I couldn't out anything in perspective. I maybe just maybe had it better than her this time.

"I'm sorry, Bless… "

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was going back."

"It's fine… Just listen to me when I say this," She stared at me, eyes bewildered and broken once again.

"You're safe now… Safe and Sound with me… You'll never have to go back to him or that part of town. You're safe with me," She nodded and I secured my arms around her, laying my cheek against her cheek.

"I love you, Blessings."

"Thank you, Darry… I love you, too." And we fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**In Oklahoma right now. Last night we came in, and I'm not kidding, we found _greasers_! I swear! They had the long, combed back, dirty hair, t-shirts and jeans, and sneakers. There were two of them and they were being pulled over by a police officer. One of them had a pocketknife in his hand. And they had no car or anything. This was at like 1:00am. Yeah… My life is now complete! **

She didn't go. She didn't go back to school, she didn't go back to her parents, she didn't go. She stayed with me, helped with my family, and looked me in the eyes again. I knew she would. It's not like she hated me. She was still pretty shaken up since Christmas. I guess it was pretty traumatizing. She quit school altogether. She stayed at home. She did work. She got a job. She did everything. She got the fireworks for tonight, New Year's Eve.

"You got them?" Pony eagerly ran up to the brown paper bags on the counter. She nodded and began to pullout sparklers, roman candles, and the Big Ones. She was almost silent since then. I was the only one who could get her talking.

"The parachute men?"

"Yeah," She whispered. I gently wrapped my arms over her shoulders and held her hands in mine.

"You gonna light some stuff up tonight?" I whispered. I saw her cheeks plump up, a sign of a smile.

"I don't know. You always took the good stuff," She teased. I realized she was talking about New Year's Eve and Fourth of July senior year, going into college. I did. I took The Big Ones and smoke bombs, throwing them at my dad.

"I did, Bless. I gotta go get some stuff at the store for tonight. Will you come with me?" I said. She nodded.

"Okay. Pony, we'll be back soon. Soda's sleeping, don't wake him up. Two-Bit, Steve, and Dally are coming over with Evie. Let 'em in. Don't let them blow up anything, don't you either. I'll see ya," I grabbed my keys, my jacket, Blessing's hand, and we ran out the door and into the car.

"Why don't you go back to school?" I asked as we began stacking the boxes and bags on the counter of the supermarket checkout.

"Well, for one thing, I have no way to get there."

"All you need is a ride there and you stay there the rest of the year."

"Yeah, well, what about going out? And doing other stuff like going to the store? I have no way to do that."

"Sure you do. Borrow someone's car," I answered, wiping my hands on my jeans. She shook her head, exasperated.

"Never mind. Anyway, I don't really even know what to major in. I was study math, human body, and philosophy. I didn't know what to major in. Maybe a medical doctor."

"Well, you can go back."

"I choose not to, Darry."

"I get it, I get it.

"It'll be $27.32." I pulled out three thirty dollar bills and handed it to him.

"Your change is $2.68," He handed it to me and handed me the bags.

"Thanks. Well, you're welcome to keep staying with us," I said, giving her a couple and grabbing a load myself as we head out to the truck.

"I know… Thanks for that," She said, placing the bags in the pick-up. I sighed and got into the front seat.

"It's not a problem," I answered, driving home.

"I tolds yous wes was gonna get ripped!" Steve whooped, running around the abandoned field like a moron with Two-Bit on his trail with a cigarette.

"You two be careful!" I yelled. Two-Bit waved me off and went on chasing Steve.

"I swear sometimes…" I looked back at Blessings in that nice orange dress in the moonlight, her dirty blonde curls swaying in the breeze. She wasn't perfect I realized. She had that abusive family Johnny did, my temper, that short attention span Soda had, scars Dallas had, tolerance Steve did, and Two-Bit's vocabulary. She was a blend with us. She loved each of us, becoming more like one one day, and another the next. But right now she was Blessings, her eyelashes kissing her cheeks, smile outshining the light, and eyes radiant.

"Yeah…" She whispered. I held out one of my hands.

"Wanna go set something off?" She looked up at the tree we were sitting underneath and nodded after a while. I clutched her hand and a pack of silver sparklers and we walked to the middle of the field.

I slid two out, handed one to her, and took one myself.

"Pony, throw me that lighter!" I shouted as Two-Bit hollered. Ponyboy threw me the golden lighter. I lit the flame onto the stick, sending silver sparks flying all over the place, landing in the black grass. They decreased their light once they sunk into the strands of grass. I switched out the sparklers. She held it away from her, but she was laughing and smiling. I instantly threw down the lighter along with the sparkler when it wouldn't light and folded my arms underneath her elbows and took hold of her feeble hands. We wrote words of all sorts; our names, New Year's, fireworks. I took hold of it just before it was going to go out and made the word 'love'. She looked at me until the ignited flame reached its dark point. She had that scar on her cheek still. That scar that defined her so completely and perfectly, it was believable. Her hands were sealing up that red. Her forehead almost fully healed.

She didn't go. She didn't go back to school, she didn't go back to her parents, she didn't go. She stayed with me, helped with my family, and looked me in the eyes again. I knew she would. And she was. And that flame ignited again when I tangled my lips into hers again. The hot warmth came with her gently touching my cheek and back. That blaze was in my arms, laughing as I tickled up her shoulders and on her blemished neck. The inferno was back when I caressed her hair when we held each other close when it was over. Ponyboy said it felt like a fever was with you when you were in love. A good one he said. It was there and it could be broken within days, but you could keep it up. It was hard to get through, but once you were used to it, it wasn't so bad. But this fever was one that wasn't gonna go down. It was a flame that you put a match up to let it keep going and no one could put it out.


	9. Chapter 9

**School just started and my best friend is moving somewhere in the world in less than maybe 10 months, so I'm trying to give them a lot of my time and attention, so I will be uploading a lot less than I was before and a lot less frequent. I'm sorry for all the foul language in this one, I just kinda wanted to show how angry and upset he was. Read, Review, and Stay Gold!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders. All rights go to S.E. Hinton.**

"Hmmmm! Whatcha making, Blessings?" I walked into the kitchen, tattered and dirty from work.

"Chicken and rice," She answered quietly.

"Chicken and rice," The _**e**_ rolled on my tongue like a snake did. I looked at the steam rising from the pots on the stove and chuckled to myself.

"I thought you were working late tonight," She softly replied, not looking up from the stove as I made me way through the letters on the counter. Bill… Bill… Ad… Bill… Bill… Ad… Ad for a bill.

"I was going to, but Boss let us off early 'cause it was starting to rain," I answered, rummaging through the papers once again.

"I dig," She responded.

"I knew you would. Oh, look!" There was a letter to her, but no return address, "Here's one for ya!" I handed it to her and she carefully removed it from my bruised hands.

"I'm gonna go check on Soda."

"He's sick right now. Not feeling too well."

"Probably so," I answered and went towards the back in their bedroom and took a knock on their closed door. Please don't be throwing up, please don't be throwing up.

"Who is it?!" Ponyboy's voice echoed.

"Superdope," I said with a smile on my face. I was in a good mood today. I don't know what it was. Was it getting off early… my favorite dinner… maybe it was the-

"Glory, Darry, I've said come in four times," Ponyboy's eyes shot up into my face before I knew it.

"Hey, Pone. How's So?"

"Ya wanna see him?"

"Yeah."

"I don't think you do."

"Come on, Pone. If you don't let me, I'll force my way in. You may be eighteen and big for your age, but trust me. No one gets over me."

"Fine," He creaked the door open a little more and let me in the book covered floor room. Soda lie in bed, his face breaking out I sweat, a mercury thermometer underneath his tongue, his face pale, not a sign of his reckless, happy self.

"Soda…?" I whispered, gently shaking his leg. His eyes jerked open and stared at me with relief.

"I thought yous was someone else," He said with that glass rattling against his teeth.

"No, it's just me," A crash and shattering echoed throughout the house. It sounded like something breaking and a faint whimper from the kitchen. I quickly rushed out the door and looked around and quietly tip toed into the kitchen. Blessings lay there on the floor, her head in hands, that letter in her hands, a broken vase beside her with pieces in her body. I rapidly started yanking them out of her hands, her legs, off the floor. I sat down next to her on the floor, where a puddle of blood lay. I wrapped my arms around her. I didn't hear her crying as I thought about it. And the more I thought about it, I couldn't feel her heaving. I couldn't hear her breathing! As fast as I could, I pried her face out of her hands only to find it limp. A piece of glass in her neck the size of my fist, hanging out, blood trickling down her neck and fast too. Her eyes were closed, mascara still on those eyelashes, those scars burrowed deep in her skin. I picked up one of her hands. It fell back down to the floor. No, no, no, please God, no! I raised the hand back up to my ear to listen for a pulse. I didn't hear anything, no matter how hard I tried.

The food was burning. From where I was sitting, I turned off the stove and began investigating her body, checking for points where she could've stabbed herself. I laid my ear against her chest. Nothing. No breathe coming out of her mouth or nose. No, no, no… please not you… I thought. I yanked her eyes open, only to find them fly back down to the edge. Now tears were in mine.

"Please, please, no Blessings," I whispered, squeezing her cold, wilted hand. She didn't move, didn't speak, didn't breathe. I slid the letter loose from her fingers.

Dear Bliss,

I'm sorry. But you've got to come home. Your mother passed away from a car accident. And your brother is missing. We need you home. And if you don't, we'll come after ya.

Dad

That sick, twisted son of a bitch! Her mother did not pass away! I had just seen her passing by work today. And her brother was living with the Socs. Oh and how do I know this? Because Randy and Pony are still friends and he was on the phone with him yesterday about a beer blast they threw that night. It would've been all over own by now! How stupid does he think I am?! But there was no return address. It wasn't meant for me… He knew Blessings was going to break, making up these lies to do exactly that and make her come home so he could harm. When I get my hands on that son of a fuckin' bitch, he's gonna mess with Darrel Curtis Jr. And trust me, there ain't nothing junior about me, asshole, so he better watch his back. Because when I get beefed, oh trust me, they're gonna get turned into some fine beef. I stood up only to realize she was still hanging onto me. And then I realized that she cut herself where it was most vital; wrist and neck… I threw her to the floor, furious.

"WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DIE ON ME NOW?! SO WHAT IF YOUR FUCKING FATHER WANTS TO KILL YOU?! SO WHAT IF HE LIED TO YOU?! SO WHAT IF HE HATES YOUR GUTS?! JOHNNY LIVES WITH IT! HE LIED TO YOU! THAT SON OF A BITCH LIED TO YOU! YOU, NOT ONLY, HURT YOURSELF, BUT YOU HURT ALL OF THIS FAMILY! I HATE YOU!" I backed up against the counter, sliding down on the floor next to her… I didn't hate her. I didn't mean to holler at her. I didn't even know what the hell happened.

"I'm sorry…" I whispered, wishing she had looked me in the eyes again one last time. Just one last perfect smile, just one last bat of the eyelashes. Just on last laugh, just one last grasp of her hand. One last kiss, one last hug. One last word to her, no three; I love you… I heard footsteps and I turned around to see Ponyboy standing there with horror and sorrow filling his eyes in the form of water.

"What happened?!" He squeaked, the tears now falling down hi cheeks.

"She's gone, Pone. And she ain't comin' back…"


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders. All rights go to S.E. Hinton!**

"You mean you killed her?!" Ponyboy screamed, looking at the remains on the floor and hearing my screaming.

"No, no, no! Ponyboy, you don't underst-"

"I think I do! I can't believe you fucking did this!"

"Now, Ponyboy-"

"Don't cut me off! Dally!" Oh crap… Dallas was here. And seconds later Dallas came loping back, not even giving the dead girl on the floor a second look.

"What, kid?"

"Darry murdered Blessings!" Ponyboy had tears jumping to his eyes and now flowing down his cheeks.

"I did not! Now, Ponyboy-" Dallas scanned behind me and then lowered his eyes at me. He flipped out his switchblade in a flash.

"Yes, you did! Who else would've done it, asshole?!" He hollered in my face. Would it kill him to chew some gum?

"She did! She committed it to herself!"

"Why don't I believe you?!" Dallas screamed. I flipped the blade to the floor, sliding it right past Blessing's foot.

"I heard him screaming at her! He said I hate you and then I heard a thump," Ponyboy said, starting to pick up the glass off the slick, bloody floor.

"Oh, is that true?!" Dallas slammed me against the stove. While I was too shocked to take any action, he snatched that switchblade so quick off that floor, there were wind behind him. He flipped the blade back out and laid it against the skin of my neck.

"Dallas, you're insa-"

"Ponyboy, call the police! I got him pinned."

"Oh no you don't. Ponyboy, don't you dare!"

"I'm sorry, Darry. I've got to do what's right," He said and walked into the living room. My foot was burrowing into her chest on the floor.

"Dallas, look-"

"Hush up, Curtis!" He threw me from the stove and into the doorway. I didn't have the strength or even will to fight back. He slammed me right into the doorway, letting my forehead smash into it, sending me to a world of black.

"Officer, you don't understand-"

"Oh, yes, I do, Darrel. Ponyboy and Dallas told us everything," The deputy said to me as he shoved me into the back of the police car.

"_**You know them**_?!" I exclaimed, hitting my head on the ceiling.

"Yep. After that incident with that Sheldon kid, we know them pretty well." I sat there with shock and then snapped back to reality. I looked at Ponyboy standing there with his hands on Sodapop's shoulders in his wheelchair.

"Soda…" I whispered, but they shut the door on me. He looked up from his hands, tears falling down his cheeks.

"Why'd you have to do it, Darry? That's all I want to know."

"I didn't do it, damn it! Why can't y'all realize it?! I didn't do it!"

"Sure you didn't," The deputy got into the front seat of the car.

"Ponyboy…"

"Are we gonna be separated now, Soda?" Ponyboy merely asked. Sodapop looked up at him, misty eyed.

"Yeah, Ponyboy, we are." I gave Ponyboy a pleading look for help, but all he did was raise his middle finger as we drove off.

"Why'd you do it, son?" I looked up, the blood on my lip still dripping onto the table.

"I'm only gonna say this once, _**Deputy**_! I didn't kill her, she committed suicide…" I whispered in a low, husky voice. The officer sat back in his chair. Any minute I was gonna break through these chains and charge at him.

"Why would she do it, Curtis?"

"Because her father sent a letter lying to her about her mother passing and her brother missing. Can I go to sleep now, Officer? I'm awful tired after what you assholes put me through tonight!" I exclaimed, standing up. The officer behind me lowered me back into my seat. I banged my forehead onto the edge of the table, wanting to commit suicide. I didn't do it! I had no witnesses. My own brothers didn't even believe me. This was ridiculous. They have evidence, so they claim. I looked up at the light hanging above me. Please God, just tell me why you have to pick on me.

"Sit your dairy air down, Curtis!" He screamed when I did stand up. I pulled on the metal bracelets, but it only grinded into my skin, leaving blisters and cuts.

"Look, we'll have a hearing about a week or two. You'll survive until then," He pushed me out of my seat and towards the big metal door to exit the investigation room.

"If you don't cross paths with Bertha…" I quickly turned around and widened my eyes. Oh, my God… Bertha Ringwald…

**Sorry this one is really short. I'm just really tired, and my brother's bothering me to turn off the computer, so that's why. Read, review, and Stay Gold!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders. All rights go to S.E. Hinton. **

"So what'd you do to get in here?" I turned around at stared that guy right in the eye.

"I don't know, pal. Maybe you'd like to tell me that!" I tried charging at him, but was restrained with the chains linked around the bars. I tried to pull on the chains, but it was grinding against them.

"Hey! HEY!" The officer behind me hollered. I hit the ground on my butt and slammed my head against the bars of the jail.

"Look, I didn't do it. She committed suicide!" I screamed.

"Hey! Shut up! Hush your trap, buster!" He took his stick threw it across my jaw, causing blood to slid down my jaw and chin along with my neck.

"I didn't do it, I swear! Let me out of here, goddamn it!" I screamed. He hit e across the face again. I wanted Blessings, I wanted Ponyboy and Sodapop, I just wanted my daddy back to hold me!

"You're gonna get yourself more time in here if ya don't shut up! Do you hear me?!'

"Oh, I hear you loud and clear, Mr. Macho!"

"Shut your trap, kid!"

"I ain't no kid, and you can't tell me what to do!"

"I can too."

"Try to…" I challenge. The officer took he keys off he desk next to hi and stuck the key in the lock ad turned it, a clicking sound vibrating my ears. He entered the smelly, old cell and back me against the corner. He smashed my head against the bars, beat me the nightstick, and slapped me across the face several ties with his gun.

"Is that what you wanted, punk?! Huh?! ANSWER ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YA, CURTIS!"

"NO, IT'S NOT, OFFICER!"

"Then what is it that you want, huh?! Someone to come bail you out?! Your mommy?! Well, I got news for you, buster, she ain't here! She ain't gonna come bail you out! And neither is your daddy!"

"I know that, you freakin' prick!"

"Why's that, Curtis?! Why?!"

"Because they're dead! They're gone! They've been gone for years now! Now leave me alone!"

"Look here, punk," He lifted me up by the collar of my prison uniform, "I call the shots when you use the machine to make the shots."

"I DIDN'T KILL HER!" I hollered. I wanted to leave, I wanted to hold her, but I couldn't. I wouldn't ever see her again…

"I know you did! I know you did!"

"I didn't! All you assholes think I did! I'll tell you what happened!"

"You'll have your turn at the hearing, dipshit! Get some sleep before I come back in here! Do you hear me?" I couldn't respond. I nodded and he put me back on the ground. I collapsed to the ground, weak, helpless, dead to the world.

"I just wanna tell you this…" I lifted my finger up at him.

"You can kill my girl, take my brothers away from me, have my parents dead, and put me in jail, but you will never… ever break me!" He just chuckled, bent my finger back, spreading my blood from the blows I've taken.

"We'll see about that, kid."

XXXXX

"It's rough in there, ain't it?" Dallas said. I stared at him through the glass and adjusted the phone on my shoulder.

"Yeah. Maybe you should join me."

"I should. But I have a cell that's designated for me," He chuckled and lit a cigarette.

"I'm serious, Dally. No one believes me, not even you. Can you at least tell me why?"

"Because there's proof," His voice was mumbled through the phone.

"What proof?"

"They have your fingerprints on the vase glass, there was the argument with the thump and I hate you, and a couple cuts on you. They have it all."

"But, Dal, just hear me out."

"Before you go on," He straightened up from his reclining, smoking position, "I just want to say that Ponyboy and Soda aren't making it. Soda's in the hospital."

"Why?!"

"Because he's got a couple of staph infections."

"Where?"

"Where they put needles in his body like on his legs, his wrists, his hands."

"Oh my gosh… What about Ponyboy?"

"Oh, Ponyboy? Ponyboy has barely eaten since you left," He answered. I sighed and put my head in my hands.

"Two minutes, Curtis," Officer Reynolds whispered to me, the officer that did all that to me the other night. I raised one hand to signal to hold on.

"Look, Dal, I only got two minutes. So hear me out. You ready?"

"Yeah sure."

"Okay, so Blessings was really unstable after Christmas and her father wrote her a letter saying that her mother died and her brother was missing."

"Were they really?"

"No, shut up and listen! So he knew she would break, so she went insane and destroyed the vase and stabbed herself and all. And I didn't know until I heard it. I went in and saw her dead. The argument you heard was just me overreacting. If it really was an argument, she would've fought back or cried or ran off, trust me. And the cuts on me were from picking up the vase pieces and from work that night."

"How do you explain your fingerprints?"

"The pieces I picked up must've been tested because I did pick them up."

"Well, that kinda does make sense…"

"It's up, Curtis," Officer Reynolds said.

"Okay. Look, Dal, I gotta go. Tell Soda and Pony I love 'em, okay?"

'Okay, pal."

"Take care, man."

"Sure."

XXXXX


	12. Chapter 12

**Thank you for all your support and reviewing. I understand that you hate me right now, and I'm sorry. I have been trying tremendously to write as much as I can. But I've been so busy with a tragedy happening to my friend, who is now my brother. So I'm sorry I haven't been updating. Read, Review, and Stay Gold! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders. All rights go to S.E. Hinton. **

"Curtis?" I looked up from my cell at a guy about Soda's age and a piece of paper in his hands.

"Yeah?"

"Officer Kirk wants to see you now," He said. I stood up and started making my way out of the rotten, putrid cell.

"You wanted to see me, Officer?" I said nicely. I liked Officer Kirk. He was the only one nice to me since I've been here. He actually believes my story and has tried to put in my word, but they've refused dozens of times.

"Yes, Darrel. Take a seat," I put myself down in the chair in the middle of the dark investigation room.

"What is it, Officer?"

"Darrel, I've been thinking about your story… what really happened. And I've been analyzing everything in my head. Look, you know I fully believe you and stand by you on this one. And you mentioned that Blessings was your girlfriend?"

"About right, sir."

"Yes, well, her funereal is tomorrow. And you've said how you wanted to see her one last time…"

"Yes, sir," I lowered my head and whispered along with wiping a tear from my eye before he could see it.

"Well, I've arranged for us to go. Because if I don't go, you don't. So what do you say, Curtis? Wanna go?"

"You make it sound fun…"

"Well… look Darry, we'll get some lunch after or something."

"Officer, I appreciate the offer and I'm gonna take it. But," I stood up respectfully, "Sir, I just wanna say, it is not gonna be easy. My brothers will be there, or at least Ponyboy will.'

"Look, I know, Curtis. Are you coming or not?"

"Yes, sir."

"Okay, get some rest. We've got a big day tomorrow.'

XXXX

Those thorns pressed into my skin, leaving them either in my fingers or letting them put a hole in my fingers. I stood there in the cold February wind, the wind whip lashing my face. Everywhere from sea to shining sea, people stood there, crying, shouting, clinging to whoever was close. There on an easel stood a picture of her in black and white against the brown coffin. I couldn't describe the pain I had at the moment. Like I wanted her so bad and loved her so much, but I couldn't get her back.

I laid the soft, red petals against my bruised; cut fingers, a sign of tenderness. I wanted to cling to someone, something to keep my steady and no fainting. I looked up at the brown coffin. Inside there laid my prom date, a cheerleader, my best friend, my girlfriend… she coulda been my wife… I decicided to only cling to myself and huddle my face in my jacket, the slick fabric absorbing my tears. I couldn't break like this. I told Richards that. I couldn't break, I couldn't break, I couldn't shatter. But I was withering. I was fading, falling away, disappearing. I didn't even know myself anymore. I was hurting myself more than she did to herself. My hands were numb and cold from the weather.

Once everyone settled down from crying, I saw as Ponyboy approached the podium next to the easel. Everyone got quiet, waiting for his words.

"Hi, everyone. I'm Ponyboy Curtis, a close friend of Blessings. I, uh, knew Blessings through my older brother, Darry. They dated through their senior year in high school, and I was eleven at the time, so she babysat me. Blessings, to me, was one of the prettiest girl I've ever laid eyes. She was gorgeous, with or without makeup. She would always make jokes with me and older brother Sodapop, who's passing away at the minute-"

"What?!" I heard my voice say in the wind. I quickly lowered my body behind Officer Kirk.

"Uh, yeah… Sodapop's not doing okay. Anyway, when Blessings went off to college, our parents passed away. So we were here left to defend for ourselves. Blessings came back after about four years on our own and she helped us out. Sodapop got in an accident, causing him to be paralyzed from the waist down. She stayed home from school to help us out with him, and then returned. I never spent much time with her when she returned, but I did know her well enough to write this." He cleared his throat. "Close your eyes, baby girl, I knew he was going to give you the world. You never were on your own, I was there when you thought you were alone. I'd fight away those fears; I'd wipe those tears. The whole world is on fire, when your eyes are sapphires. You were our blessing from above, our angel, a true saint. But now, we are all a taint. Blessings, he loved you, I know he did…" He took a look at the coffin, wiped his teary eyes and walked off the podium. Everyone stood in silence.

"Would anyone else like to speak?" The priest said up on the podium. Everyone shook their head, but I went the opposite direction.

"I would, sir," Officer Kirk came me a death stare, but I shrugged it off and made my way to the podium. I could feel my heart pounding, blood throbbing in my hands, and in my ears.

"Okay…" He stepped off as I stepped on. I scanned the crowd to find Ponyboy with his jaw open and beginning to cry.

"Hi, everyone. I know you all might get upset and even get someone to come and restrain me, but I just want to say a couple things about this beautiful girl. I'm Darry Curtis," Half of the crying people's head jerked up with scowls on their faces now.

"And I just want to say I'm sorry. Blessings was… so energetic, so enchanting… so powerful to all of us. And you say how was she powerful? And I will respond with look at all of you out here! There must be at least about a hundred to three hundred people here. If she had overcame you at any point, you would be standing in the exact same spot I am. I was convicted of killing her, but I'm gonna tell you the story," And I went on explaining from her father beating her around Christmas and then to me being in jail. A few scowls softened.

"Look, I'm sorry, everyone. She was too great a girl to hurt. She was quiet, but she was so intelligent. All of you thought she's crazy for being that quiet and small about herself. She's gone now. Now you understand what she was trying to say. I'm saying we should make the most of the relationships we have now, before they're lost. Blessings would want you to do that," I said and walked off the podium. Even more sobbing and crying filled the air like a pocket.

"We will now start the ceremony of the flowers," I looked at the coffin. 'Here lies Bliss Amanda Arnold, died on February sixth, 1972. I looked at the rose in my hand with thorn in my palm and the blood rinsing my cuts. Ponyboy was rushing towards me. Wanted to walk to him with pen arms, but he walked past me to hug Cathy Carlson behind me, his ex-girlfriend, even though they were still friends. I tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and stared at me with stone eyes, unmoved, unexpressed.

"Hey…"

"Fuck off." And he threw the rose out of my hand and into my wrist.


	13. Chapter 13

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Writer's Block. Sorry this one is really short. I'm tired. Read, review, and Stay Gold!  
**

**I do not own the Outsiders. All rights go to S.E. Hinton. **

"Look, how's Soda, Steve?" I asked him. Steve just laughed and pulled his weight down to the floor, still hanging onto the steel bars.

"He ain't makin' it, Dar," He said seriously for a minute.

"Oh my God! Please!" I slammed my head against the steel.

"Look, Dar, why don't you just tell the officers the truth?" I raised y head from the bars and stared at him in the eye.

"Get the hell out," I snapped. He just shrugged and walked out. I pulled myself to the cold prison floor. This wasn't what Mom and Dad planned for us to do. They planned we'd go off for college, get married, start a family. Not get in car accidents, get framed for murdering, and spending the rest of our natural born lives in jail cells with Dallas Winston. That's right, Dallas got in trouble once again. And luckily, he was in my cell. But it was awkward because we have to share toilets and meals…

"You were harsh on him, Dar," Dally said. I whipped around, ready to smack him across the face. It's been almost three months in this metal hell and I keep trying to escape. Literally. They chained me to the wall with the cuff around my ankle.

"Okay, Curtis, you can go mingle," An officer said to me, unlocking the cell and then unlocking my cuffs around my ankles.

"Okay," Mingling. That's what they called having all the cells open and talking for about one to three hours. Why they do it, I have no idea. But it's every prisoner's highlight of the day. I passed by Bertha Ringwald's cell to see her braiding her hair. I stopped suddenly and took a seat next to her on the metal bed.

"Hey, Bertha," I said slyly.

"Hmm?" She asked, not even taking her eyes off her hair. She chews tobacco. Has a real bad addiction to it too.

"I was wondering if you could get me outta here?" I asked. She looked up, that brown hard tobacco rummaging around in her mouth.

"Yeah, I can get ya outta here. It'll cost ya though," She said.

"How much? I don't have much."

"Just a bag of it when you get out," People who she lets loose come by every week and give her a bag of chewing tobacco in return. I sighed and nodded.

"Okay… So this is how you're gonna do it…"

XXXXXXXX

The hearing was scheduled off later than a week or two than it was originally set for. It was around the three and a half month mark. But they made me go to it anyway.

"Darrel Curtis Jr?" I had already given y side of the story along with the officers' side and Ponyboy' side and they were just revising it.

"Yes," I stood up.

"Please step up to the witness podium," The judge said. I took a deep breath and stepped up to the plate.

"Darrel Curtis Jr. has been listened to and was sentenced to a lifetime in prison," The judge said, looking out among everyone in the courtroom. I saw Ponyboy roll his eyes and cross his arms. Oh, just wait until I get my hands on him.

"But-" But! Yes, but! Yes! "But, we've revisited the matter and we've decided that the victim is not guilty and his story rang true. You're free to go, Darrel."

XXXXXXXX

It felt weird being home again… especially because Ponyboy moved out when I came home and because Soda passed away. Like I had nothing to come home to. I would usually get a hug, maybe an attempt of a nuggie. But now I get a wisp of air coming towards me and the hollowness of the rooms. The emptiness was overwhelming. I felt that as long as Blessings loved me, I could having nothing but her and be happy. But I don't got Blessings, I don't have Ponyboy, and Soda is gone. He's dead, I tell myself that every night before I go to bed. It's like Ponyboy's good as dead too.

Everyone looks down at me wherever I go. Like they whisper and point. I know what they say. The delinquent that killed Blessings Monroe. I couldn't get my job back, but luckily, here in Tulsa, they accepted people who had a criminal record because of the low paucity of people who weren't criminals. Like greasers.

I've been thinking about Mom's last words to me. She said, "Be good boys. We'll be home tonight." But they weren't. Yet I was selfish to think she was going to drive me to a football game the next night or buy me new equipment. I blew the words off and let Soda and Pony go off on their own. Now I have these visions from my past, screaming, fighting. I wake up, sweat cascading down my face, my hands shaking, and I scream and cry out into the cold night air, but no one hears me, not matter how loud I holler. No matter how many times I regret and pray for a second chance for a hug from Mom or an affectionate pat on the back from Dad, it doesn't come. Everytime I ask for a letter from Ponyboy or a visit from Soda, it doesn't happen. And I wonder what I did to deserve any of this.

I guess it was even agreeing to going to the movies with Soda and Pony. I was now a broken man, making himself sick with loneliness. He had a little brother dead and a baby one on his own with no protection who can't use his head. He didn't have parents because of an accident. He had no wife or girlfriend because of her father. He didn't have any friends because of fraud. He didn't a job or a college education because of money and framing of crime. What would my parents say to me now? Would they try to comfort me and tell me everything will look up soon? Or would they shake their head in dismay and walk away and deny my presence in their life? I tried to make them proud, but all have now is the house and even that is for foreclosure soon if I don't get a better job or promotion.

I was lying on the floor, looking through photo album again about three months after my release. I haven't heard a thing from Ponyboy, but plenty about. Sodapop popped up in my dreams every now and then along with Blessings. Dallas would stop by with money. I never asked where or how he got it, but I had an awful good idea where he did. I was skimming through the pictures, noticing the little details like how Soda had his shirt tied or Ponyboy parted his hair on graduation. I had tears inching towards my eyes whenever I found some with all three of us, smiling and laughing. One of those was a criminal, one of those was on his own, and one was dead. I put the album down and picked up the one of Mom and Dad and us when we were little. I scanned through the ones of Fourth of July, Christmas, First Trip to the Zoo, Petting Zoo, and first day of preschool. I was crying by the time I turned to Mom and Dad's wedding. I raised my hand to half my face and grabbed my wounded cheek. I can't live with the pain of having no one to lean on. I can't live with pain that Blessings is gone. I can't go on with no one to hug me when I cry, to tell it's okay, or give me hope. I fucked up big time. Tears fell into my palm. I held the puddle in my hand and gave out a cry and lowered my face in my lap.

"God, kill me! Let my life be over with! Please, God!" I screamed. And no one heard. My cry was unheard and echoed through the house. I heard a knock on the front door, rapping on the window. I haven't heard that sound in almost a year. I sniffed and wiped my face. I stood up, straightened out my jeans, and opened up the door. There stood a little helpless boy, couldn't be less than seven years old. His nose was red from the cold outside, his dark hair dirty and greasy, his clothes battered and ripped. His eyes were a greenish-gray tint, flickering with hope. But I blinked and stood there was nineteen year old brother, a cigarette hanging in between his fingers, his greenish gray eyes flickering with that same innocence, his blonde hair greasy and combed back.

"Hey, Superdope," The little boy whispered. But I squinted to find that man. But he was still my Ponyboy.


	14. Chapter 14

**I do not own The Outsiders. All rights go to S.E. Hinton. **

** Thank you all for your reviews! I really appreciate them! Stay Gold, Greasers!**

"Hey, Superdope…" The words echoed throughout my ears, sending a ringing ricochet bouncing off my eardrums. The words were sweet, yet bitter and sour in unison. Why…after months and months of torture does he come back? For what reason? Yet that same innocence and incorruptibility waver in his eyes sparked off and on like a fires, like flames. The burning of hatred showed through the green-grayish ring of color around his big black pupils through the purity. That cigarette hanging out of his mouth symbolized his toughness and reign as a greaser from around here. But the dirt and grime on his jawbones signified the hardships Tulsa faces when the most beloved doll around here dies. He had a ripe, fresh scar on his right hand which he lifted to pry the cigarette out fro between his crooked teeth. It had blood red crust around the creases and wrinkles of the black lines of stitches with green pus oozing out from in between the lines, identifying that he had no money for medicine, which it looked amateur and probably that Steve did it. I could see it in his face… he yearned something. Whether it was a house or a big brother or even just a knock on the door… he wanted it and longed for it.

I was speechless. The fact that my little brother after all this time shows up on my doorstep, beaten and broken, defined that I was what he needed.

"Hey, Ponyboy…" I whispered my voice at a loss, stumped with emotion. He shuffled his feet on the porch, stepping on a hole in one of his white converse.

"How's it been…?" He whispered back, not looking up from the hole in his shoe. I just slowly nodded and bit the inside of my lip, trying hard not to jump over there and hug him until he died.

"Little hard…" Lie. It's been so hard. Beyond hard. As difficult as you can possibly imagine.

"Same…"

"Uh, why don't you come in for a little bit?" I said. A smiled swept across his face, his cheek bones rising and his face brightening up. He looked like his normal self again.

"Cool," He said. I backed up from the door and let him walk in, standing back by the couch. He looked down at the floor and gestured to the scrapbooks and photo albums.

"You were looking at these?" He softly said. I nodded and stuffed my hands in my pockets.

"I remember that," He bent down and picked up an open photo album I forgot to close. It was of when we went fishing with Dad for the first time.

"But Ponyboy, you were only four."

"So?" He scanned through the pages, pointing to one and belting out a laugh. I came behind him and looked at what he was cackling at; Dad pretending a fish hook was in his lip. Soon, it became real and we spent that day in a hospital, trying to get the fish hook out of Dad's lip.

"He was a funny guy…" Ponyboy gently said, carefully turning the fragile, old pages.

"Yeah…" He closed the album and placed it on the shelf, where it belonged.

"Uh, Ponyboy, there's some albums in the bottom cabinet of when you were a baby. Even some of when Mom was pregnant with all of us," I said. I couldn't believe after about a year, I was communicating with my baby brother again. And over family memories too.

"Cool," He opened up the bottom cabinet and pulled of the old dusty books.

"Oh, this is one when Mom was pregnant with me!" Ponyboy exclaimed, falling backward onto the couch. I took a seat next to him and looked over his shoulder. He carefully creaked open the cover, letting pictures and photographs to fill urn sight of when Mom was young… Ponyboy's fingers crept up onto one when she and Dad first found out they were gonna have him, them smiling, holding onto each other.

"They were hoping for a girl… I remember that," I whispered. He looked at me and smiled and went back down to the album. He turned the pages, placing any pictures that were out of their place back in their place. It was when she was about three months along… He skipped a couple pages until he got to when Mom had him.

"Dad was a big photographer, remember?" He said, picking up photograph after photograph of his being brought into the world.

"Darry?" He whispered.

"Hmm?"

"How was I born? Like how did it go? Were you there?" I sighed and laughed. I can't believe this question came seven years after their death.

"Well, where do you want me to start?"

"Like when she went into labor?"

"I guess so… Okay, so, um, I remember it was towards the end of summer, and Soda and I were going to play with Steve that day. I was six, you know. So, um, I remember asking Dad where Mom was and he said that she was in bed for that day because of being so… far along. So me and Soda went outside and ran around for a while. I don't remember how long exactly. But Dad came out soon after a long time and said that Mom was going to have the baby. All I can remember thinking was having either a little sister or another little brother. How great it would be. So he told me and Soda to come in and wait. And we did. And a bunch of people started coming in like, Two-Bit's mom, and Steve's mom, you know? And they went in the bedroom. I remember hearing a lot of screaming and yelling from back there. And that lasted until dinnertime when Two-Bit's mom brought us out for food and came back and it went on until about bedtime. So when we woke up the next morning, Mom was still in labor with you. And finally Dad decided to take her to the hospital by the country barn down on 119th. Said she couldn't take it anymore. So she had you in the car in front of the country barn… That's why Dad named you Ponyboy…" I never told anyone that story before. But I remember every single detail; what blanket Ponyboy was wrapped up in, what Soda's face looked like, the song the radio was playing when Pony was born. It seemed that I never spoke the details, but I cherished them.

"That's how it went?" He asked, looking up at me, having the same cherry red nose then when he was born.

"Yeah… I remember seeing you for the first time. You were a runt. Mom thought you were too small… But I loved you. You were my baby brother. Everybody had the new toy or game... and I had my new Ponyboy…"

Ponyboy shook his head and ruffled up his hair with his own hands.

"Darry… I need to tell you something!" He exclaimed, shooting off the couch and planting his feet in the idle of the stained carpet.

"What?"

"Look, Darry, I need to tell you something. And it's been ripping at me, the guilt for years now! I can't take it anymore! I need to tell you something… horrible."

"What is it, Pony?" He shook his head, tears jumping to his eyes, shaking his hair, grabbing his lips.

"I know you didn't kill Blessings. _**I**_ did."


	15. Chapter 15

**I do not own The Outsiders. All rights go to S.E. Hinton. **

**I'm sad to say this is the last chapter. And I have no idea if there's gonna be a sequel. If you think they should be one or not at all or just a review. I would appreciate it if you dropped it in the reviews, Thanks and Stay Gold!**

I raised a hand to my face, shocked and in dismay.

"Yo-Yo-_**You**_ killed her?!" I asked, astonished and scared. No, no, no, no, no, no. Not Ponyboy. Not my baby brother. Not _**my**_ Ponyboy! He nodded, tears running down his face, breathing heavily. He nodded up and down, taking in oxygen deep and downward through his lungs. Like the guilt in his mind was taking place through his body too.

"Ho-How- Why would you do it?!" He shook his head now, teardrops falling off the edge of his face and onto the carpet, the familiar carpet absorbing it in. The tears of guilt and despair; the ones of a murder. My own baby brother is a murderer! A million thoughts and things spun through my head, sending tears to fall to my pupils, screaming and pinching to get out.

"Look, Darry, you don't un-"

"WHY WOULD YOU DO IT?! HOW THE HELL DID YOU DO IT?! SHE NEVER DID ANYTHING TO YOU! WHY?! WHY! Why…?" I had standing and then sank back onto the cushions of the couch.

"I don't know! I don't know why! I don't know what came over me, but it damn sure hurt everyone!" He bawled, barely breathing between sobs.

"Ponyboy, just… just start from the beginning, okay? Calm down! Just tell me from the beginning…" I said, walking forward and grabbing is wrists gently so he would stop beating himself in the chest with them.

"Stop, just, stop!" I snapped, stopping him from hurting himself. He stopped fidgeting his arms and looked up at me, his face red and swollen with fear and confession.

"I-I-I-I can't…" He slumped down to the floor, shaking and cold. He curled himself up, his knees tucked to his chest.

"Ponyboy…"

"Darry… I can't…"

"Just tell me! From beginning to end what on earth happened that night…" He sighed and wiped underneath his eyes.

"I went into the kitchen after you went to go see Soda and Blessings had already opened up the letter… She told me that she had to go back or that they would come after her… And I got really upset and slammed the vase down onto the floor and she was already on the ground crying and some pieces flew into her wrist and her neck. They were sharp enough. But by the time I knew she was dead, I planted the other pieces in her and ran… That's why I blamed you and Darry, I know that was the shittest thing I could ever do to anyone! It was low, odious, and I hate myself for it. I know you should hate me. You should…" He wiped his eyes and sniffed. I looked up from the ground. I was in jail for a year because of him and have a criminal record on my profile. But I couldn't hate him for it.

"Why were you really upset that she was leaving?"

"Because... she meant so much to you and she was like an older sister to me and Soda…"

"Ponyboy, I'm not mad at you. I'm little disappointed, but I'm not mad."

"WHY?!" He jumped up and looked down at me.

"Ponyboy… If I do become mad at you, I won't have anything left. And I don't really think what you did was technically murder. It was an accident.'

"You're not gonna tell the police, are you?"

"No, Pony, I'm not… I served your time for you and I got the scars to prove it. You're my brother and I love you…"

"I love you too, Dar."

And even though my life fell apart day by day, second by second ever since that movie night, I was grateful for it. I was closer with Ponyboy now and even with Soda and my parents. I love my family and I wouldn't even trade Blessings for them… Even if she was my Blessings from Above. I miss you, Bless.


End file.
